His brows rose in amusement at her use of irreverent slang for Lathrop's death, but his attitude toward the duel was as casual and matter-of-fact as her own. "Lathrop got some maggot into his head about defending Emily's honor and putting a stop to all the rumors about her, by challenging one of her alleged lovers to a duel. I will never understand why the poor old man chose me from amongst a legion of viable candidates."

"Whatever method he used, it's obvious age had addled his mind."

Stephen eyed her curiously. "Why do you say that?"

"Because your skill with pistols, and your skill on the dueling field, are both rather legendary."

"Any child of ten could have won a duel with Lathrop," Stephen said, ignoring her praise of his abilities. "He was so old and frail he couldn't steady his own pistol or hold it level. He had to use both hands."

"And so you let him leave Rockham Green unscathed?"

Stephen nodded. "I felt it would be impolite of me to kill him, under the circumstances."

"Considering that he forced the duel on you in the first place, by calling you out in front of witnesses, it was very kind of you to pretend to miss your shot, in order to spare his pride."

"I did not pretend to miss my shot, Helene," he informed her, and then he pointedly added, "I deloped."

To delope constituted an apology and therefore implied an admission of guilt. Thinking he might have some other explanation for standing twenty paces from his opponent and deliberately firing high into the air instead of at Lord Lathrop, she said slowly, "Are you saying you really were Emily Lathrop's lover? You were actually guilty?"

"As sin," Stephen averred flatly.

"May I ask you one more question, my lord?"

"You can ask it," he specified, struggling to hide his mounting impatience with her unprecedented and unwelcome preoccupation with his private life.